Up to 10k infections circulating?

[Millhouse7]

I was just listening to radio 4 but busy at the same time.(aren't we all!) I heard someone say there are up to 10k covid 19 infections circulating already? Can anyone help with who said this and where this has come from? Seems like a lot. But I suppose these are mild un noticed cases?

It was in the press conference between 4.30 pm - 5.30 pm today on BBC1 after the Cobra meeting.

It's an estimate of actual cases based on the analysis of other countries.

The government have said that they're estimating between 5000 and 100000 cases are already active but most are not diagnosed and/or very mild.

I listened to the professor of infectious diseases from st Vincent's hospital today on the radio today.

He said ' everything done before a pandemic is called an overreaction, however after a pandemic everything done it's viewed as an underreaction'.

Stay at home.

Ok right yes I get it thank you. I did Google but heard so little it didn't seem to bring this up maybe my phrasing was wrong. Wow this seems like a lot! How are people feeling about that?

You can watch the press conference online - it's really interesting

Definitely watch the press conference and make up your own mind!

Yeah I'll pop the press conference on. I did get to hear a bit more radio 4 but they didn't go back to that specific number.

Just for others this is a link to the press conference

There's no sound on that link?

Is that just to start with? Theres loads of footage of people sitting down for some reason. But then there's sound when bj is on stage. We'll there was for me...

No sound when BJ is on either

Oh sorry I'm probs the worst tec support. But it's working for me.

This is a different link.

If 10k are actively infected, thats not actually bad news (mostly)
It means that the vast majority are not symptomatic or quite mildly ill.
The challenge is ensuring it spreads enough to get some herd immunity going, but not fast enough to overwhelm services.

And also of course, protecting the vulnerable from getting it.
I'm not sure what to think, really.

I thought the conference was well handled. The 2 health officials on either side of Boris were calm and convincing.